Police probing shooting of Sri Lankan journalist

Colombo: The Sri Lankan police on Saturday launched investigations into the shooting of a journalist attached to a leading independent newspaper, reported Xinhua.

Police spokesperson Priyashantha Jayakody said the journalist, Faraz Shauketaly was injured after being shot at by unidentified gunmen at his house in Colombo, late on Friday night.

Faraz Shauketaly. AFP

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had also called for a special investigation into the shooting incident involving the journalist attached to the Sunday Leader newspaper.

Shauketaly received bullet injuries in his neck and was rushed to a state hospital by a group of foreign tourists who were in the vicinity.

The gun-shot wounds were, however, not life threatening. Eyewitnesses said they saw three men running away from his room following the shooting incident.

Shauketaly was on the telephone with a journalist at the Sunday Leader newspaper during the late hours of Friday night discussing a story which was to be published on Sunday when his telephone line got cut.

Attempts by the journalist to get him back on the phone then failed. Minutes later, the newspaper was informed that he had been shot.

Doctors at the hospital said that shrapnel from the bullet had got lodged on his lower neck close to the shoulder.

Director of Sri Lanka's National Hospital Dr. Anil Jayasinghe said Shauketaly has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and tests are being carried out on the object believed to be part of a bullet which is still in his body.

Shauketaly had mentioned on an earlier occasion that he had faced threats but had not reported the matter to police.